When several relatives qualify for Canadian citizenship by descent, deciding whether to mail their proof‑of‑citizenship applications together or separately can affect processing time and the risk of a complete‑application return.
Submitting as a single package
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Advantages
- All files arrive at the Sydney, Nova Scotia processing centre at once, reducing the chance that one gets lost or flagged separately.
- Applications often move through the system on similar timelines, which can be helpful given the current average processing time of about 25 months.
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Risks
- IRCC treats the package as a single unit: if any one application is deemed incomplete, the entire shipment is returned.
- A return can add several months to the overall timeline for every family member.
Submitting individually
- Each complete application proceeds on its own schedule, independent of relatives’ files.
- This approach isolates a problematic file—if one applicant lacks a crucial document, the others continue processing.
- The trade‑off is the loss of mailing convenience and no guarantee that decision dates will align.
Key requirements for every application
Regardless of how you bundle the paperwork, each applicant must submit a complete, individual set of documents:
- Signed and dated proof‑of‑citizenship form (CIT 0001).
- Document checklist (CIT 0014).
- Two citizenship photos that meet IRCC specifications.
- Photo identification of the applicant.
- Receipt showing payment of the citizenship application fee.
- Full lineage documents for the applicant (e.g., birth certificates tracing the Canadian grandparent), not a shared set.
Practical tips for a combined submission
- Cover letter – Include a brief letter identifying all family members in the package and explaining the relationship to the common Canadian ancestor. This helps officers see the connection.
- Fee receipt – IRCC allows a single receipt covering multiple applicants if the fees are paid together; attach it to the outer package.
- Packaging – Place each applicant’s complete set in its own inner envelope, then bundle those envelopes in one outer parcel (FedEx, UPS, etc.). There is no formal limit on the number of applications, but larger packages are harder to keep organized.
- Document completeness – Even with the newer, more lenient completeness checks for applicants outside Canada and the U.S., missing or incorrect documents will still trigger a return.
Special considerations
- Spouses – Citizenship by descent cannot be claimed through a Canadian‑citizen spouse. Once an applicant obtains a Canadian citizenship certificate, they may sponsor their spouse for permanent residence, after which the spouse can pursue citizenship through the regular residency route.
- Eligibility check – Applicants should verify their descent eligibility before preparing paperwork, as the right to citizenship hinges on a documented bloodline to a Canadian ancestor.
Decision criteria
| Factor | Submit together | Submit individually |
|---|---|---|
| Risk of whole‑package return | High (any incomplete file returns all) | Low (only the incomplete file is affected) |
| Convenience | One mailing, coordinated tracking | Multiple mailings, more administrative effort |
| Timeline alignment | Likely similar decision dates | May vary widely |
| Complexity of individual files | Not ideal if one file is notably more complex or missing documents | Better when files differ in completeness |
Families should weigh the convenience of a single shipment against the potential delay caused by a single incomplete application. When all files are ready and identical in complexity, a combined submission can streamline the process; otherwise, separate filings may reduce overall risk.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
